Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



March 24, 1931. E. M. ALLEN ET AL 1,797,218 I v RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Sevt. 29, 1930 U ATTORNEY i i atented r funiT osrArEs EARLM. ALLEN, orswIssvA n'ANn noennngwinrann, orIwrLKIivsBUnG, a 1 sYLvANm,1AssIGivoRsroman unroivswrrcna SIGNAL COMPANY, or 'sWIss A E,

7 jPENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or Pennsylvania i RAILWA -trnArrro-coivrnonnrnehrrnnarus I I Application filed S te ber 29,1950; S eria1 N'o. 485, 103. 1

Oiirfinvention relates to railway trafiic controlling apparatus, and particularly to apparatus for the Control of a railway switch and the signalslgoverning traffic over the fiswitch. I l

We will describe one form of apparatus embodying our: invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a diagramembodying our invention.

--Referring to the drawing, thev apparatus in theforni'here shown comprises amain trackA, and a branch track 'Bi-connectedby a-switcl1F,'tra1fic over these tracks being normally inthe directions indicated/by the arrows. The main track A is'divided by insulated joints 2 to form a'main section containingtthe switch Fyandan approach section C-D. The branch track B is similarly'provided with a mainsection VfY and an approach section U -V. Each track sec- 7 tion is provided with atrack circuit comprising'a; track ibattery ,3a-nd a track relay designated by the reference character R with a:distinguishingexponent" 5 A signal S which normally indicates stop,

governs trafficflon the track A:thIOL1gl1 the switch F anda similar signal S which also relaysas hereinafter explained.

Located adjacent the branch trackl approach sectionll v is, a switch indicator 1Q comprising .two lamps GandRl When lamp means-that the switch :can; be; reversed. 7

matic View showing'one formgzof apparatus normally indicates, stop, governs traffic onbranch track B throughthe. switch F. The

switch relay as well as by others of thev B is lighted itmean'sthat switch cannot be" reversed'because there is-atrain on the main track A. Whenlamp G is lighted it.

switch is in normalposition, both i 7 it signals S and S aman stopyand both lamps of thelindicator K are extinguished. j

' We will first assume: that ,atrain moving towardgthe righton the. ma-inftrack A-enters 'theapproach section G'eD. Thistrainwill open: track relay R fl'thereby, closing the cir-V is fronrterminal K, through back contact ief relay R g'back contact 5 of a switch relay. W,

andwindingof relay L to. terininalO. .Siga nal relay l-P will then be energized, the. circuit} being from terminal X, ;through front switchF, front contact-9 of relay L,'i:'ront contact; 10 of relay ,Ri back contact 11 of relay H and, thawinding' of relay H to contact .7 ofrelay Rflhormal contact 8 of it terminal {1; It will beinotedz that this circuit nctibei' s e u l sst mai e iqn I I isunoccupied,switchF is inthe normal positiomqmain. section ve' Y' Sis unoccupied, andsignal relay-Ii?isdeenergized. ,Theclos eingfof irelay will 'c ause'signal S to give a proceed indication. When the train .enters section .D; ;E, Ithe "opening of relay RE will open the, circuit for relayH atcontact 7 sothatis'ig; a1 S will return tothe stop in-' dication; u o willjnowiassume-that atrain on the branch track 13 enterstheapproach section U:V, thereby; openingftracka relay B Lo;

if this circuit controller; is manually closed whilecthe track relay Rfisv open, a relay]? will become energized-,the circuit being from terminal X, throughrback contactllgof relay by virtue of as' tickcircuit which passes from terminal X5 through back contact 13 of relay f R frontcontact la of relayP, and'thewind l ing of relay P,to'ter ninal0,1;SwitchrelayW cated adj acent this section is anornjlally' open -manua 11y-. operable circuit controller T, and

will now be energized,the"circuitlbeingfrom,' rl m X, thr lw n a t 710f e y ;P back; contact; 18; of relay Hflfback. contactg l9 f of; relay L, and 'the ,wiriding of i relay v to sumac. 1m b nct dth tj h s. area vcannot become closed unless relay H is open so that signal S indicates stop, and'unless relay L is open thereby establishing that there is no train in the approach section CD of the main track A. Relay W being energized, a re'verse'operating circuit for the switch mechanism M will become closed, this circuitbeing from terminal X, through front contact 23 of relay R front 'conta'ct 24 of relay R front'point of contact 25 of relay W, switch operating mechanism M, and'the front point of contact 26 of relay to terminal 0. It will be noted that this circuit will not be closed unless both trackrelays R and R are closed. Assuming that the switch F has becomereversed, signal relayH will be energized by virtueofa circuit which passes from terminal through front -contact 27 of relay Rflreversecontact 28 of switch'F, front contact 29 of relay R back contact 30 of'relay H and the winding of relay H to terminal O. Inasmuch "as this circuit includesba'ck'contact 30 of relay H it follows that relay H cannot become energized unless signal s ii-i'dicates stop. The closing oi relay H will cause signal S to assume the proceed indication, but as" soon as the train enters track section VV- Y, thls si'gnal w1ll return" to thes'top indication becauseof the opening of the ci-rcuit for relay H contact 29. s As soon as relay P becomes energized, the

normal lamp R forthe-'switch-indicator 1C will be lighted virtue "of a *circuitfwhich passes from-terminal-X, through front contact 15 o-f-relay new; point of contact 16 of relay W, and lamp Rte-terminal 0. {When switch relay W becomes energized, the front point of contact 'litieo f this relay will close,-

thereby lighting the reverse lamp G" instead of the normal lamp 'R, and this will indicate thattlre switch relay Whas become energized. The-subsequentclearing of signal S will indicate that switch F has become reversed in response to the closing of relay lVhenthe't-rain enters section VY, it will open tracli relay R thereby; opening the switch mechanism circuit at contact '24: and e so preventing the s-wltch 'irom being restored to its normal position. lVhen the rear end of the train leaves section UV,' track relay R will again close, therebyreleasing relay VP, and 'this will result in opening the circuit for relay W,:but as we have-just stated, the circuits for switch mechanism M will now be openat front {contact 24 of relay R so the switch will remainin the reverse position;

' As soon-asthe front'endof the train passes point Y, track relay R will become open,

therebyopeni'ng at contact 23Ithe controlling circuit for the-"switch mechanism M, so that 1 theswitchwill remain in the reverse position until the rear'end'of the train passes point E. WVhen this Eoccurs, the normal circuit 3 for mechanism M will-become closed, this circuit 7 being from terminal X, through front contact 28 of relay R front contact 24 of relay R back point of contact 26 of relay W, switch 25 of relay 7 to terminal 0. The switch will then be returned to its normal position so that all parts of the apparatus Wll-l be in the conditions in which they are illustrated in the drawing;-

occupies the approach section CD "of the main track A, a-second train enters the-approach section UV of the branch track B and a member or" the train crew operates circuitcontroller T,thereby energizing relay P.

This will not result in the reversal of switch F because the circuit for the switchrelay will be open at back contact 19 of, relayL,

the latter relay being energized because of the occupancy of section CD. It follows that the train onthe branch track B cannotreceivea. proceed indication from signal S until the train on the main track A has passed beyond point E. V

We will now assume that section U-V is occupied and that a second train enters section C -D. It the switch relay W has not become energized when the second train enters sectionLk-D, signal S willassume the proceed indication because relays L and H will 'both become energized; but if the switch relay has been energized at the time the We will now assume that while "a train mechanism M, and the back point of contact second train enters section CD, relay L will i remain deenergized and this will prevent relay H? from becoming energized, and so the signal S will remain in the stop-position." The train onthe branch track B will then have the right-of-way; a

In order to simplify the drawing,-jwe have in some instances shown relay contacts disass'oci'ated from the relays to which they belong, but have indicated theassociation by means of the reference characters. For example, contact 17 of relay P is illustrated at a considerabledistance fromthe relay, but the association is indicated by the fact-that provided with a main section containing the switch and fan approach-section, and said branch track-being provided with an ap-' proach section, a manually operable circuit controller ad-jacent-said'branch track appreach section, means requiringoperation of said c rcuit controller cfllncldeflt Wllih .109-

cupancy ofsaid branch track approachfsecf tion to reversejsaidswitch, and means for comprising) switch and an approach section, and said branch track being provided with an approach section, a man'ually operable circuit controller adj acent said branch. track ape proach section, means requlring operationof said circuit controller coincident with occupancy of said branch track approach sectlon to reverse said switch, means for. preventing reversal of theswitch if either section of said main track is occupied, and an indicator located adjacent said branch track approach section and controlled by the. switch govern-V ing means for showing the conditions of said switch. i 3. Railway ftraflic controlling apparatus comprisin a main track anda branch track. connected y a switch, said main track being provided with a main section containing the switch and saidbranch track being provided;

withan approach section, ama-nu'ally operable circuit controller, adjacent said branch track approach section, means requirmg operation; of said circuit controller'coincident f. as

with occupancy of said branch track approach section to reverse said switch, and means for'preventing reversal of SELIClSWltCh if saidmain track section is occupied.

l/Railway traific controlling apparatus,

comprising a main track and a branch track connected bya, switch, saidmain traclr being provided with a main sect on containing the 1 ;b ranch-track being provided with -..an ap- J switch and an approach section,1' -and said proach section, a manually operable-circuit to reverse said switch, In'eans forpr'eventing reversal, of the switch if either sectionof said main track lsoccupied, anormal danger hand means for clearing said signal when a controller adjacent said branch track ap- ,proach section, means requiring operation of said circuit controller comc dent w1th'occu pancy of said branch track. approach section signal for the main section of said main track,

train occupies said main track approach section provided the main section of themain track is unoccupiedand the switch isnormal and said circuit controller has not been oper-'- atedfeven though a train may be occupying; V a

forsaidbranch-track, a track circuitlinclud- 7 I said branch track'approach section.

5. Railway traffic controlling apparatus jcomprisin a'main trackand a branch track connected y. a switch, said main track being" provided with amain section containing the" switch and an approachsection, and said branch trackbeing provided with an approachcsection, a manually operable circuit controller adjacent said branch ftrack' ap a maintrack'a'nd a branch track y a switch, said main track being proachsectioit'nieans requiring. operationofsaid circuit controller icoincidentx'with .occu- 'pancy of saidbi'ianch trackiapproach section to reverse'said switch, anormal dangersig-i nalfor. said mainasectionof the main track,: means forclearmgsald signal when a train occupies said main track approach; section providedjthe main section of the main track i is unoccupied andithe switchfis normal and said circuit controller has not been operated even 'though'a Y train' mayibe occupying said branch track approach section, a normal dan ger' signal for said: branch track, and :means for clearing "the :latter signal provided said switch" is reversed and said main section I of theniaintrack is'unoccupied 'and said main; track signal. indicates stop. v 6-. Railway traflic controlling apparatus -comprising;a main' track and a branch track connected by: a. switch, an approach section .for saidlbranch track, atrack circuit includ-; 1

ing-a track- ;relay for said. approach. section, 1 a normally open manually operable f circuit P isrclosed- 'arrd'saidtrack relay is open, and

means forfrevers-ing said switch to permit a controller adjac'entisaid approach section, "a

traintoenter themain track from the branch track whenrelayiP isclosed provided there is n ojtrain on the mainctrackapproaching the switch.- E

I 7.I Railway tr a trackirelayfit'or. said approjach section a normally open. manually c operable circuit normally open relay P, apick-up circuit for controller adjacentsaid approach section,.al

comprising afmain track anda branch track relay P closed only when said circuitcon it a stick circuit for relay P closed when relay P is closed and saidftrack relay is open, a 1 normally open switchcontrolling relay W which ,.when energized causes the switch to] be reversed to permit -Ia train; to enter: the main track from the branchtrack, and means for energizing said relayW' when relay P troll'er is closed andsaidtrack relay is ,open,

is energizedfprovidedthere is no train on.

the main track approaching the switch.

8. Railway" traflic' controllin connected by a switch, an approach section I apparatus comprlsing a main'track'and. a ranch track ingj'atrack relayfforsaid approach section,

ajnormally open manuallyoperable circuit I .12 normally open relaygP, a pick-upcircuit for controller adjacent said approach section, a.

relay I closed. only' when said circuit cone troller isclOsed-and said'tr ack relayis open, j a stickcircnitiifor relay P, closedwhenrelay, 7 Pf is f'clos'ed andzsaid 'trackrel'ay is opema:

normallyfopen -switch controlling relay which when :energizedtcauses. the switchlto be reversed to permit a train to enter the" main track from the bralnch track, means for.

energizing relay W'whenrelay P is energized provided there is no trainon the track approaching the switch, and a switch indicator-located adjacent said, approach section and controlled jointly .by said relays P and '9. Railway traffic controlling apparatus comprisin'ga'main track and a branch track v connected by a switch, .-an approach section for saidbranch track, a track "circuit includ ing :a track relay for said approach section, av normally open manually operable-circuit con-I stroller adjacent said approachsection, :a .normally open relay P, a pick-up circuit for relayv P closed only when said circnitcon troller is closed and said. track relay is open,

a stick circuit for relay P closed when relay P'is' closed and said track relay is open, a

normally open switch controlling relay W which-when energized (2311865 13116 switch to be reversed to permit .a train to enter the m main track from the branch track, means for energizing relay. VV'When relay P islen ergized provided there is no train'on the main track approaching the switch, a switch indicator located adjacent said approach section and having a -normal;and a revase'lamp,a' cir cuit'for said normal lamp including a front contact of relay P ba'ckcontact ofre =lay. W, and a circuit'for said reverse lamp ,tures,

' including a front" contactrof relay P and a front contact of relay W; I V

In testimony whereof 'we :afiix our signa- EARLM ALLEN; Y ROGERE. WILLARD- I face 

